


Plaything

by LokiAndBaneGal



Series: The Ella 'verse [1]
Category: Dark Knight Rises (2012)
Genre: F/M, Mildly Dubious Consent, Sexual Coercion
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-11-26
Updated: 2012-11-27
Packaged: 2017-11-19 15:31:25
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,068
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/574821
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LokiAndBaneGal/pseuds/LokiAndBaneGal
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>He does this nightly. He has no type but he knows what he likes. COMPLETE, FOLLOWED BY FIRST KNIGHT AND THEN WINGED CREATURE.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Plaything

He does this nightly. He surveys the workers in the sewers, looking for his plaything. He has no type, but he knows what he likes. His eyes move towards the outflow, and that's when he sees her.

A sheepish young girl, curvaceous yet petite. She is staring into the water flow, lost in thought. She is cradling her arms against her chest, trying to hold in any warmth to her body. He studies her face. Her olive skin appears to glow in the fluorescent lights. Deep set chocolate eyes, full lips and a faint blush dusting across her cheeks. Her long hair is in tight kinky curls that cascade over one shoulder.

She unintentionally catches the attention of another worker who shoves debris into her hand. She is clueless as to what to do with it, but follows some other workers to see where to dump it. She makes her way to a separate area where workers are using power tools, too large for her hands. She attempts to help anyway, effectively getting the hang of a riveter.

He watches as she struggles to keep the heavy machinery afloat, but she is determined to work. Most of the kids here are like her. Orphans who found better work here than in normal society. She intrigues him infinitely.

He walks over to his mercenary and points to her. "Who is this?" He asks quietly but firmly.

Stewart casts his gaze over the workers and nods. "That is Ella. She is new, only here a few days but she is getting accustomed to life down here all the same. She believes in you." Stewart added with a smile, sly and underhanded.

"Ella," Bane sighs, her name rolling off his tongue like water in a stream. "Bring her to my quarters in the West Entrance near the outflows. We'll see how much she truly believes." Bane replied, before setting off for his small room.

Stewart nods and makes his way down to construction. He spots her struggling with the riveter again and taps her shoulder. She freezes and then notices Bane's mercenary behind her and regains her composure. "Yes, sir?" She barely speaks above a whisper over the sounds of power tools and strong water pressure.

"Bane would like to see you." Stewart instructs her to place down the riveter and follow him.

She tightens her coat around her body, following Stewart through different corridors before walking in a small yet accommodating room. She looks around to see not much is here. A desk with a lamp and computer, a full-size bed, and dirt floors.

She doesn't notice him in the room until he steps forward out of the shadows and nods for Stewart to leave. She hears the door open and close behind her, and visibly flinches when she hears the door slam against the frame. She tries to look at him once and shies away, keeping her gaze to the floor.

"Ella," Bane says her name and the word washes over her like ice-cold butter on hot pancakes. She looks up, surprised he knows her name.

"Yes, sir," she replies, her quiet tone easier to hear in the small space.

"Ella, I have a proposition for you, and I want you to seriously consider it before answering me. Do you understand?" Bane speaks softly and calmly, afraid to scare her away like a skittish deer.

She looks upon his face finally, taking in his commanding form and expressive azure eyes. She nods her understanding, audibly gulping as she listens to him.

"I would like to offer you accommodations in this room alongside me. You will do what I ask when I ask it of you. In exchange for you companionship, I will relieve you of your construction duties. Is that something you believe you can carry out?" Bane steps closer to her with every few words until he is in front of her, caressing her cheek with the back of his hand.

She opens her mouth to speak but Bane shushes her, both hands coming to the sides of her head and gesturing to her brain in an attempt to make her think before she speaks. A few moments pass and her eyes fall over the mask on his face, jagged metal and tubing making every breath hiss and sound foreign, like something out of a creepy movie.

She shifts her eyes to his, sensing his growing impatience. "Yes, sir. I'm no good at construction, I'm puny next to some of these men. But…I could make good with you here," she shifts on her feet, trying to maintain composure, "and I think I am good company."

"Just good, you say?" Bane taunts her as he moves to sit on the bed, angled so that he leans towards her.

"Better than good, I'm capable of holding intelligent conversation. And I am young, you can mold me into what you want." She speaks with slight arrogance, it doesn't go unnoticed.

"Your mouth is very distracting, Ella," he tilts his head, studying her reaction, a mix of fear and confidence, "you should put it to better use than talking, I'm afraid." And with this he removes his jacket, reclining on the bed before gesturing for Ella to kneel in front of him. He places both hands behind his head, relaxing fully.

She does as she is told and kneels on the cold dirt floor, placing her hands on very powerful thighs. She moves her hands slowly up these thighs until they rest on his zipper. She unzips it slowly and pulls out his half-hard member. She marvels at the sheer size of it, its girth alone sends a shiver down her spine. But she remembers she was chosen by him, hand selected to be his toy. And she will comply.

She shyly pumps his cock a few times before leaning forward, her hot breath ghosting over his cock. He groans, shifting his hips to the edge of the bed, awaiting her mouth's entrance. She licks around the mushroom head twice and then descends on his cock. He hisses loudly and takes one hand and places it into her curls. He grabs a fistful of tight curls and proceeds to fuck her mouth slowly.

She relaxes her throat, taking every inch as he gives it to her. Within minutes, he is fucking her mouth properly, obscene sucking sounds filling the small space. Quickly, he releases her hair and pulls her up to a standing position. He disrobes her, fondling her breasts in earnest before letting his hands glide over her body.

A small, almost-flat tummy and then down to her apex. Completely hairless, he smiles inwardly wondering when she has the time to get waxed. He prefers a bit of hair there and doesn't hesitate to let her know.

"No more waxing, Ella. I want you to have a more womanly appearance while you are in my presence. Is that understood?" Bane asks, hands slowly caressing her bottom and thighs.

She nods her understanding and he continues to admire her body. He caresses the outer folds of her womanhood softly before one finger slips past them and into hot wet heat. She is aroused for him. Even as a monster, he can make a woman swoon. She moans loudly as he slips two fingers into her and rubs over the sweet bundle of nerves and instantly she climaxes, digging her fingers into his shoulders while her legs start to tremble. He keeps fingering her until her moans subside, her nectar painting his hands generously.

He wishes he could taste her at this moment, he expects her to taste sweet and fresh like cherries picked from the vine. He uses her sweet juices to coat his cock, lubing it up for her. He then lies her down on the bed, climbing atop her. Lifting her legs over his shoulder, he positions himself at her entrance and slowly plunges in.

Stars appear before his eyes as he is enveloped in tight white-hot heat. She moans loudly as she takes every inch of him, clenching her eyes shut tightly. He wants to see her eyes as he takes her.

"Open your eyes, Ella. I want to see your eyes," Bane commands her, anxious to start pumping inside her.

She opens them slowly, focusing on his face. Creamy vanilla skin half-covered by rusty metal, but he is still attractive to her. He pulls almost all of the way out before plunging in again. He hits her cervix this time, sending chills down her spine. His eyes study her while he fucks her in earnest finally.

His breath comes out in sharp hissing noises through the mask and she opens her legs to wrap them around his waist. He leans in closer to her, and at this angle her hits that bundle of nerves again and again. She reaches up to touch his mask, trailing her fingers up the sides until they rest on either side of his head. She lightly touches the skin that is exposed from the mask, he closes his eyes momentarily but when he opens them they are sparkling in the low light.

He buries himself in her, reaching a hand down to play with her hooded center. The combined stimulation inside and out has her climaxing again, coating his cock with each thrust. Then she clenches her walls around him as she loses it completely. Another few thrusts and he is exploding inside her walls, grunting his approval. He leans down and rests his forehead against her cheek in an almost romantic gesture before pulling out of her.

He readjusts himself and gets up from the bed grabbing a blanket from the closet and places it over her. He moves her closer to the wall on the bed, then sits down on the bed's edge a moment before laying back down and resting his hands behind his head again. He crosses his legs, completely relaxed.

She lays on her side, watching him through sleepy eyes. She wants to regain connection with him, touch him, lay with him. But she is afraid to be rejected so she turns around to face the wall, bringing her knees closer to her chest. She contemplates saying 'goodnight' but thought better of it and instead wills herself to sleep. She dreams the entire night of rusted metal and hissing, a deep dark voice calling to her. She relives the night in her dreams, she swears she can still feel him inside her.

He listens to her even breathing, she is asleep now. He wants to touch her again, he craves that connection. But he will wait. Soon enough, she will regain her strength and open herself to him again.

He will wait.


	2. What Is And What Should Never Be

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Attachment is seldom encouraged.

Most days, Ella wakes up alone in the small room. With new bruises or handprints emblazoned on her body, reminding her of the night before. Flashes of the night's events appear before her eyes.

A blue crystalline eye sparkling underneath hooded lids. Metallic sounds of breathing, hissing loudly. A muscular bicep flexing. A strong large hand roaming over her body. A thick erect cock buried deep inside her. Simultaneous orgasm. Falling asleep next to Bane.

Every night she inches closer to him, until last night when she fell asleep flush against his side, feeling his body move with every breath he took. She tries to stay awake, it appears he never sleeps. But after their long nights, she can never manage to keep her eyes open. She listens to his even breathing and relaxes her muscles and drifts off into dreamland.

He leaves new clothing for her everyday and breakfast. Usually something sweet and fattening. She quietly wonders if he wants to fatten her up, or more appropriately add some womanly meat to her slight frame. She dresses and eats while looking around the room for something to occupy her time before leaving.

There is a bookcase full of old journals and novels. She looks through a few of the journals, but they are written in a code she can't decipher. Most of the novels are science-fiction or action/adventure. A copy of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's 'The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' sits on the desk and she picks it up, flipping to a dog-eared page that Bane must have been reading from.

She reads for a short while and places the book back where she thinks she found it before putting on her boots and coat and exiting the room. Ordinarily she exits the room and wanders through the corridors, in search for Bane. But today she finds her way through the tunnels and makes her way to the surface. She stops by the courts and watches the guilty be sentenced. She watches with amusement as the former psychiatrist, Dr. Jonathan Crane rules almost constantly 'Exile'.

She stays for a few hours and then makes her way back to the sewers. She passes by St. Swithin's, the boys home where her boyfriend, well maybe ex-boyfriend now that she hasn't spoken to him in weeks, grew up. An honest to goodness 'good cop', not a corrupt one. Gotham City was lucky to have him. She could picture his slight smile and the way he would get crows feet at the corners of his eyes. She remembers how he smells, always the same after-shave and cologne. He was very neat and almost never looked unkempt.

As she nears the entrance to the sewers, she wonders how it would be different if she hadn't left him suddenly one night, swayed by the ongoing news reports of the masked man. She wouldn't be a monster's plaything. She would still be living with a handsome, successful, trustworthy police officer. But Bane gave her purpose in a strange way. She felt needed. And she liked that feeling, as fleeting as it may be. She never mentioned to Bane of Blake's existence in her life.

At times, Bane would talk to her about the courts or about Commissioner Gordon or whatever crossed his mind. He would tell her stories of his time in the League of Shadows. He would tip-toe around his relationship with Talia al Ghul and leave her anxious to hear more. On the other hand, there were times when he ignored her completely, only acknowledging her presence in the confines of the room, leaving when he had his fill of her. Retreating to have her to spend the night alone.

No one spoke aloud of the girl attracting Bane's attention, but it was common knowledge that she was to be untouched. She could do as she pleased, she could come and go as she pleased. She received dirty looks from the other women as she reentered the tunnels, but she was used to them. She simply smiled and held her head high as she walked with vigor around the construction. She contemplated reporting them to Bane but she thought better of it.

She returned to the small room and undressed, laying in bed under the thin sheet. She planned to surprise him when he retired to the room for the night. She falls asleep waiting for him, only waking as she hears his heavy footsteps as nears the room. She stands, holding the sheet around her body. He enters, ignoring her standing there as he eyes his surroundings. As he takes off his coat and places it on the chair at the desk, she walks up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder and easily turns him around.

She moves her hand from his shoulder to his cheek, trailing her fingers there until she ghosts a finger over the grate in his mask where his mouth would be. She drops the sheet, standing in front of him nude. She slides her hands down his neck to broad shoulders to bulging biceps and back up until she touches the vest covering his chest. All this time he is staring at her face, unblinking.

She understands, no romance tonight. Not that there was much to go around. She unceremoniously drops to her knees and unzips his pants, reaching in for her prize when his hand stops her.

"No need for that tonight," he snarls, grabbing her by the neck and pushes her towards the bed. He positions her face down with her bottom in the air. He spits into his hand and pumps his cock a few times before ramming into her without warning. She squeals and shuts her eyes. She covers her mouth, knowing he wants it over and done with without hearing her strangled cries.

He plunges into her repeatedly at lightning speed, not stopping when her moans become audible. Her legs are shaking, she is not aroused when he takes her like this. His grip on her will surely leave bruises on her skin in the morning. He grunts, burying himself deep inside her and climaxes quickly, releasing his hot essence inside her. He pulls out of her, climbing off of the bed and grabs the sheet off of the floor and throws it at her. She covers her body and turns toward the wall, cut-off sobs escaping her.

He eyes the Sherlock Holmes novel. It wasn't where he left it last. She had seeped into his life, sucking him dry. She wanted him all the time, even if she just wanted to touch him. She was always there. Some days he would welcome it, other days he couldn't stand the sight of her. He was becoming bored with her. She was nothing like Talia. She had no mind of her own, it seemed.

And when she cried, he broke inside. Like her tears had a way of becoming his tears. As much as he found her unnecessary, he hated when she was a sobbing mess. She tended to be less intimate if she was upset. And he hated that even more. He thought of drowning her out by reading some of the novel but deciding against it, he opted for climbing into bed next to her.

He put a hand through her tight curls, a gesture of forgiveness that he thought would work to quiet her. She froze, afraid he would take her again. Instead he hooked an arm underneath her and pulled her body to him, keeping an arm wrapped around her tightly, the other behind his head. As she quieted, he spoke.

"You mustn't touch my things without my permission. If you require reading materials, I will get them for you. Do I make myself clear?" Bane asked, confident she would learn her place. He feels he has mistakenly encouraged her attachment to him.

"Yes, sir," she replies, nodding and wiping her tears.

She sleeps that night fitfully. She dreams of Blake making love to her, slow and sensually. She dreams of his boyish face and trademark smirk. She reluctantly wonders if he would take her back but doesn't entertain the notion further. Instead she continues to dream of what is and what should never be.


	3. Strange Bedfellows

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bane gets a new partner, but is it business or pleasure?

She wakes to the sounds of Bane snoring. A strange sound, like a mixture of metallic hissing and light contented snorts. She is still laying cradled by his arm, a sweet gesture he didn't have to make. She leans up to peer over at his face, completely contently sleeping. She can't help the idea that pops into her head after last night.

She reaches over, palming him through his pants, feeling morning wood stiffly hardening. She tightens her grip on him, he groans but doesn't open his eyes. She then unzips his pants, reaching in and grabbing his half-hard cock, stroking it firmly. He starts to stir, but sighs and lays still again.

She leans down to take him into her mouth, knowing he is trying to ignore her. She sucks on the mushroom head, hollowing her cheeks then descends on his erection. He hisses as he catches his breath and fists her hair in his palm. She continues to suckle him, ignoring how he tries to make her go faster. She pries his hand out of her hair and climbs atop him. She rubs herself for a few short moments to allow easy friction and then positions his cock against her opening.

She slowly plunges down on it, pausing for a moment to steady herself and get used to the size of it. Then she begins to rock her hips forward and backward grinding on him, at the same time stimulating her hooded center. He opens his eyes finally, settling his hands across her small yet firm breasts. She moans as he pinches her nipples between his thumbs and index fingers.

His hands then slide down her waist landing on her hips, he lifts her expertly up and down on himself. Her moans fill the small room and probably the adjoining tunnels but neither she nor he really even cares. He leans her down against her chest, pulling his legs up behind her, wrapping his arm around her middle he then pumps into her at shutter speed while his other hand is firmly grabbing her bottom.

He pumps for what seems like a thousand times until he comes, panting like a dog on the hottest day of the year. He explodes inside her again, still not caring about the possible repercussions. But it is hard to care when your partner shows no interest in protection either. He comes down from his high, hands roaming over her body as she rests her head against his neck, breathing in his natural scent.

He gently slides her off of him, laying her down gently. He then rises and grabs his coat from the desk chair. "I will be gone for a day or so. Stewart will stay behind. Go to him if you need anything. I'll have him bring you breakfast and clothing in a moment." And with that he left, not that she expected a 'Goodbye' or 'See you soon darling' but it would have been nice to hear some type of salutation before he left in a huff.

She lays back down in bed, covering herself with the sheet and thicker blanket. A few moments later a polite knock shatters the silence of the room. Ella gets up to answer the door, seeing Stewart she weakly smiles and steps out of his way so he place down the bagel and fresh clothing, quietly wondering if it is appropriate to answer your door wrapped in a sheet. He then smiles his own weak smile and turns to leave but she catches his arm before he can exit.

"Can you tell me where Bane is going? He didn't say," she asked, trying to seem so innocent in her approach.

"He's going to meet a possible business partner. She has been getting quite a bit of press as a highly dangerous cat burglar," Stewart said, watching as her face fell.

"She? It's a she…," she huffed, trying to ignore the boil in her blood.

"Yeah I think her name is Selina…something," Stewart replied. "Well, I'd better go now. Come find me if you need me, I'll be at the entrance to the tunnel," Stewart said before leaving, closing the door behind him.

She walks back to the desk, ignoring the clothing but she picked up the bagel and starts to pick at it before giving up and puts it back on the desk. She gets dressed and goes to find Stewart, she needed something to occupy her time. She requests paper and pen and a couple books. He has them delivered to her within the hour.

She places the paper and pen in the drawer of the desk and picks up one of the books, C. S. Lewis' 'Alice in Wonderland'. It is one of her favorite books because she loved the Cheshire Cat, she has always had a thing for the 'bad boy'. She reads for hours and then picks up her forgotten bagel and heads out of the room. She exits the tunnels, telling Stewart she will be back soon.

She makes her way to the courts to see Scarecrow condemning another bunch of cops and it chills her to the bone to think 'What if Blake were being sentenced?'. She left after a half hour or so, heading back towards the sewers. On her way towards St. Swithin's, she spots Blake holding a basketball and exiting the building and quickly ducks into an alley to avoid his attention. She hears his car engine start and the sound disappears slowly as he drives off. She peeks around the corner and can see his taillights as he rounds a corner out of sight.

She practically runs back to the sewers, making her way back to the room ignoring the others at work. She would read until she fell asleep, she dreamt all night of teacups, little rabbits, and mischievous smiles.

Elsewhere, Bane had met with a client, John Daggett. He propositioned him to introduce him to the cat burglar. Daggett obliged and gave him her address. Shortly after, Bane was walking up a staircase in Old Town owned by Selina Kyle and a girl named Jen. He arrived at her door and kicked it in, smiling in amusement as Selina slid across the living room floor to grab a gun that had been underneath the couch.

"Take one more step and I'll blow your head off, honey," Selina purred, the words deadly on her tongue.

"Oh, Selina, you wouldn't want to shoot me. Not when I can offer you more than Daggett has promised you," Bane replied, sizing her up as she stood up with the gun still pointed at him.

She was tall and graceful, long limbs. A dancer's body maybe, or maybe ballet or gymnastics helped to sculpt this beautiful creature. Long espresso colored hair, full lips, and the creamiest porcelain skin he had ever seen had his blood pumping an upbeat rhythm. She scoffed in disgust as he eyed her like a lion hunting a gazelle.

"Well if you're offering a creepy stare, I'll pass thank you very much," Selina growled, cocking the gun.

"I can offer you protection. From Daggett. From whomever you wish. In return for your services, of course," Bane stepped forward, completely unafraid of the ballerina with a gun.

"How can I trust you? And who the hell you are you?" Selina asked, slowly lowering her gun.

"You won't trust me until you see what I can do. But as to who I am…you can call me Bane," He offered, tilting his head sizing up her willingness to comply.

"What do you want me to do?" Selina questioned as Bane smiled at her with his eyes.

By midnight, Bane was escorting Selina back to the sewers. He laughed at her disgust as rats ran past her. "Yes, we do entertain some guests from time to time," Bane smiled, continuing on their walk, enjoying that Selina walked closer to him the rest of the way.

When they arrived, they met with Stewart as he was going to be arranging the small heist. Then as Selina got restless, Bane showed her to the room he shared with Ella.

Selina walked in, turning up her nose at the modest diggs and then was startled when she came across Ella's face in the dim light of the lamp. Ella looked up at her, and then to Bane.

"Hey, kid," Selina greeted as Ella furrowed her brow. 'Who is she to call me 'kid'?', Ella wondered.

"Leave us," Bane said to Ella, cold as ice.

"Where am I supposed to go?" she asked, looking as Selina with fire in her eyes.

Bane said nothing, only fixed Ella with a glare she clearly understood. She packed up her things and left quickly, wandering the corridors until she found a quiet place to sit. She rested her head against the stone walls and cried herself to sleep.

Selina took off her coat, laying it on the chair at the desk. "So, what, is this my room now?" She said, looking back at him.

"It will be our room, for the time being," Bane spoke in a low tone, but forceful just the same.

"I didn't sign up to be your little fucktoy, if you need that you better call whatshername, I'm not-" Selina started before Bane had his hand around her throat, picking her up off of the floor with ease.

"Don't tempt me, Ms Kyle. One pinch from my thumb will kill you, and I won't hesitate," Bane snarled, staring up at her with crystal clear eyes.

He dropped her quickly and walked over to the bed, sitting down before being tackled to the bed by Selina. They struggled for power until Selina was pinned with Bane on top of her. He held her hands with one hand above her head, using the other hand to fondle her breasts through her blouse before moving underneath her skirt and fingering her.

He slowly moved his fingers in and out of her, stimulating the bundle of nerves just inside of her walls. Soon her moans of struggle became moans of passion and she was fucking herself on his fingers, riding out her orgasm. She opened her legs wider as Bane unzipped himself and plunged into her, groaning as he did so. He placed her legs above his shoulders and leaned on his hands while ramming his cock in and out of her.

Her moans filled the room and echoed through the tunnels into Ella's ears. She crept back towards the room, listening in at the door. Obscene sounds of skin slapping against skin filled her mind, she tried to contain herself but she lost it, crying uncontrollably. She reached into her pack and pulled out a piece of paper and a pen.

'I hope you're happy.' is all she wrote on the paper before folding it once and dropping it next to the door. She then gathered her things, walking towards the exit out onto the streets. She walked in the cold wind of a Gotham night, not knowing where her legs were taking her until she ended up outside of his door.

She hesitated at first, almost turning around and leaving five times before she knocked on the door. It must be about two a.m. in the morning but she hoped he would hear the door. She hears shuffling and soft footsteps and sees a light come on underneath the door.

He opens the door and his eyes gape open. He just looks at her, not sure if this is real because she looks different than when she left. She looks distraught, frail, and her face was soiled. He takes only a second more and walks out the door and flings his arms around her, tears flowing out of his eyes. She doesn't ignore the painful stinging in her eyes and lets loose tears as she drops her bags and leans up on her tip-toes to hug him back.

They stay there out on his doorstep until they stop crying. He grabs her hand and pulls her in from the cold night air.


	4. The Plan

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The plan is set into place, while another plan takes shape.

She walks into his house, he follows close behind. It's just how it was before she left. Same configuration of the furniture, same awful paintings on the wall, same Blake. She missed this place. She suddenly feels too grimy to step foot in this immaculate space.

"I've gotta shower…I'm filthy," she mutters, shifting on her feet.

"Right, yeah. Come on," he gestures for her to follow him. He leads her into the bedroom, handing her a towel on her way into the master bathroom.

She walks in, taking off her clothes as she moves around the bathroom. She looks around and notices all of her toiletries are still here. Her body wash and razors are still in the shower caddy, her tampons are still in the cabinet under the sink, and her toothbrush is still in the holder next to his. 'He wanted me to come back,' she thought to herself. She finishes undressing and takes a shower, silently thanking God she could finally scrub herself clean, letting the boiling hot stream of water cascade over her body. She washes her hair last and turns off the water and gets out of the shower.

That's when she catches her reflection in the bathroom mirror, bruises cover her hips, arms and thighs. She is disgusted by what she let Bane do to her, with her. She combs out her curls, wrapping her towel around herself and then grabs his robe from the back of the door, before exiting the bathroom to dump her dirty clothes into the hamper next to the dresser. She can hear Blake in the kitchen closing cabinets. She quickly grabs some pajamas out of her drawer and retreats back to the bathroom to dress, not wanting him to see her body.

She dresses and returns to the bedroom, she is falling asleep where she stands and decides to lay in bed. Within minutes, she is asleep cuddled underneath the comforter. This bed is much more comfortable than the cot she had gotten used to and she sleeps easier. Blake reenters the bedroom after turning out the rest of the lights in the house. He smiles when he sees her sleeping peacefully, trying not

to imagine what has her this tired.

He turns off the bedroom lights and lays in bed next to her, bringing her to lay on his chest with his arm wrapped around her. He strokes her hair as he thanks God that she has come back to him. He wants to cry, he's so happy. But instead, he sleeps serenely for the first time in weeks.

She wakes up next to a warm body. Her eyes open with the morning sun and she briefly forgets where she is. She hasn't been here in weeks, but when she picks her head up, her eyes scan over the body next to her. She smiles for a moment, just watching Blake sleep, his short espresso hair disheveled, his mouth agape as he lightly snores. He is nothing like the masked man, in fact he could be considered the polar opposite.

She moves her body even closer to him moving upwards on the bed, the arm that was wrapped around him moves towards his face. She traces his freckles lightly, trying to count all of them. Then she places a chaste kiss on a patch of freckles. She traces down the center of his face, from his hairline down across his nose to his cupid's bow and lastly she traces his lips. Soft pink flesh, a small mouth yet she loved his lips. He was a very good kisser.

She couldn't help herself, she leaned in and kissed his lips, one kiss turned into two and before she knew it Blake was awake. Kissing her back softly at first then gradually working his lips in time with hers, passing his tongue between her lips to tangle with her own. His hands move to press her body closer to his, but when he touches her hips firmly, she winces and pulls back.

"What's wrong? Did I hurt you?" Blake asked, sitting up and looking at her hips now that her shirt has moved up a bit.

"No, I'm fine. I just-" she starts, but stops when she sees that he can see her bruises before she pulls her shirt down.

She sits up and looks away from him, not knowing how to explain any of this to him. How does she even begin to?

"You don't have to tell me what happened if you don't want to. But it wouldn't change how I feel about you, whatever you said to me," Blake offered, voice calm and steady.

She sighs and turns her body towards him, not looking at him. "Bane…" she trailed off.

"Bane? What about him? Please don't tell me he did this to you?!" Blake started off calm and ended up raising his voice at the end of his sentence.

She nodded sadly and raised her teary eyes to look at him. "He propositioned me. Said I didn't have to work construction in the sewers if I did what he wanted me to do," she choked out, hesitating before continuing, "and that included sleeping with him. But sometimes he took what he wanted and I had no say."

Blake clenches his fists and curses under his breath. His anger boiling to the surface, he closes his eyes and wills himself to calm down. "I wish I had the chance to stop you before you left. I should have stopped you, I let you get hurt and I'm sorry."

Her eyes snap to his and she puts a hand to his face. "John, you didn't do this to me. I was caught up in some romantic illogical notion that I could help Gotham by following Bane and I got my own self into this mess, not you." She kisses him lightly on the lips and he kisses her back.

Selina wakes up from her sleep and stands up on the bed, turning around to face the wall. She does a back handspring off of the bed and gracefully lands on her feet. Bane has left the room to meet with Stewart to discuss the small heist. She does her stretches, standing on her hands and turning her legs bent at the knee from side to side. She then dresses back into her clothes and exits the room in search of Bane. As she exit's the room, she finds a trampled over piece of paper.

She opens the paper and reads "I hope you're happy". She smirks and pockets the note, continuing on her search for Bane. She finds him on a balcony near the water flow with Stewart and a few other people.

He is hunched over a table that holds blueprints for the 2nd Bank of Gotham. He is explaining to Stewart that they will need to have Selina sneak in through the air duct system into the bank vault while Bane and his mercenary hold the people in the bank hostage.

"No one will expect a second robbery in progress. Miss Kyle will be quick, taking what we need and will walk right out of the front door as planned," Bane states quickly, Selina smiles at him, intrigued by his intelligence.

"I certainly hope you can keep them all entertained while I do my work, Mr. Bane," Selina purred, slinking closer to him from her spot in the shadows.

"Oh I have an idea that I do believe will work, my pet," his eyes crinkle as he smiles behind the mask. She fascinated him. Her body, her mind, and her skill as a thief. She had already garnered so much press as a cat burglar, it was destiny that their paths should cross. Bane nods to Stewart, stepping away towards Selina. He leads her away from the group, walking towards the tunnels.

Selina walked a bit before pulling the note out of her pocket. "I think you have a secret admirer, Mr. Bane," she spoke slyly, handing him the note.

He reads it silently and fixes Selina with a questioning arch of his brow.

"Hundred bucks says your sweet Ella is a tad upset," her sad chuckle escaping her lips.

He crumbles the note in his hands and tosses it over his shoulder and he continues walking at a quicker pace, Selina follows behind quickly. He escorts her back to her apartment, nodding silently to Jen as she opens the door and gasps at the sight of him.

"Tomorrow, be downstairs and Stewart will come to retrieve you," Selina nods at him before walking past him into the apartment, "Until then, Miss Kyle."

He bows his head ceremoniously to her, his eyes crinkling at the edges as he smiles behind the mask at her. Jen closes the door, listening as his heavy footfalls descend down the stairs.

"So you're chummy with Bane now? When did this happen? And what does he want from you?" Jen's questions ramble out of her mouth like coins tumbling out of a jar.

"I wouldn't say I'm chummy with him, he's not the 'chum' type. He found out about me from that lisping idiot Daggett, I presume," Selina drops her coat on the coffee table and lays across the couch lazily, "And he wants me to sneak into a bank while he attracts the police to him so I can rob the vault without any attention to myself." She says it so matter-of-factly that Jen just shrugs and walks out of the living room.

Ella tells Blake of everything happening in the sewers, who the key players were and what Bane did most days. And that's when the idea popped into his head.

"I want you to go back," he said calmly, taking in her frightened face, "but not forever, of course. I want you to come back once you've found out what Bane is intending to do with Selina. She's an excellent cat burglar, but she isn't above capturing. I want you to find out what they're going to do and I want you to come back to me with anything you can find out."

She nodded, acknowledging that Blake was trusting her to work both sides of the coin. Before she left, he told her to make sure she is not followed when returning to his house, what routes to take if she believes she is followed, and a secret knock ensuring she was at the door and not anyone else.

He hugged her tightly and kissed her goodbye, taking one last look at her before he sees her again. She slips out the door quickly, making it back to the sewers in record time. She passes by Bane's room, determined to walk past it quickly, the door is open and as she passes it, Bane sees her.

"It would be rude and unwise to ignore me, Ella," Bane's metallic voice rumbles through her.

She closes her eyes, willing strength to enter her body but it fails her as she steps into the room reluctantly. "Not ignoring you, I was just going to-" she starts, but Bane cuts her off.

"Going to what? Write me another love note? Or run off again?" Bane growls at her, rising from his seated position on the bed, taking a step towards her.

She unconsciously takes a step backwards, backing herself into the wall by the door, effectively trapping herself as he walks towards the door and slams it shut.

"You must think you have some sort of power over me, Ella," he snarls, his face mere inches from hers, "You don't have any power over me, I hold power over you, child. And don't you forget it, because the next time it happens, it may be your last," he straightens to his full height as Ella turns her head away, unable to stop the tears from coming, "I should take you right now, alas Selina is a woman with more to offer me than you. You may reclaim your position in the construction, I no longer have use for you." And with that he turned away from her and sat on the bed, reclining back.

She was frozen for a minute before leaning off of the wall and walking a few steps towards him. "She is more beautiful than I am, she is better than I could ever hope to be at thievery. But what attracted you to her in the first place?" She asked tentatively, shifting on her feet.

"Where your skills lie in laying down naked and appealing to my baser instincts and nothing else whatsoever, Selina possesses a mind and a spirit which you never will. She is crucial to my plan, she will assist us in a few days with a job that you could never accomplish sadly." He said, not moving from his reclined position.

She nods to herself and opens the door to the room, exiting without looking back at him. She quickly makes her way to find Stewart, Bane didn't tell her all she needed to know but Stewart would because he felt sorry for her.

"Stewart, why does Bane need Selina so bad?" She asked, trying to look pitiful, as she looked over the blueprints on the table.

"I don't know if he would want me to tell you this," he says before leaning in closer to her, "but he is planning a heist tomorrow at the 2nd Bank of Gotham. We will attract the police to the bank while holding hostages and Selina will sneak in through the air duct system into the bank vault. I don't know exactly what he is after, money doesn't interest him. But whatever it is, its big." Stewart finished and leaned up, looking around for any prying eyes.

"Sounds interesting. Too bad I can't help," she mumbles, looking away from Stewart. "Bane has banished me back to construction, I'd better go before he notices I haven't reclaimed my position yet." With that, she walks away towards a few boys sorting sheet metal and bolts and assists them, watching Bane exit the room from the corner of her eye. She doesn't look over to him.

That night, she snuck out through the tunnels, and followed one of the routes back to Blake's house, not sensing danger but being cautious. Little did she know, she had a follower.


	5. The Change-Up

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A change in plans for the masked man.

Her follower lurked in the shadows on the front porch, watching intently as Ella sat down to talk with Blake.

"It turns out Bane wants Selina to help him with some bank heist or something tomorrow at the 2nd Bank of Gotham," she stated, fiddling with her hair, "Apparently, he wants to attract police to the bank lobby holding hostages while Selina slinks into the bank vault using the air duct system."

Blake nodded, pouring them tea as he listened attentively. "Bane's right hand man, Stewart, told me that Bane isn't interested in money so it must be something pretty big right?" She asked, taking a sip from the tea that Blake placed in front of her.

Blake sat down next to her, nodding thoughtfully. "It has to be pretty important if he wants to get his hands on it. I should probably call Gordon, he'll know what to do." He pulls out his phone, standing up to make the call to the commissioner.

"Hey, Gordon? Detective Blake," Blake began.

Ella turned around, unsure if she heard correctly. 'You made detective?' she mouthed. Blake nodded and smiled then went back to his phone call.

"I've got some information about Bane. I just got a tip that he's gonna be working with Selina Kyle on a bank job tomorrow. He'll be distracting all police towards the bank lobby where he'll be holding hostages while Selina sneaks into the vault." He paused, listening to Gordon.

"Yeah, apparently not money so we need to figure out what is in that vault." He paused again, looking back at Ella while she drank her tea peacefully. "Oh, well Ella's back. She's the one who told me all this…Gordon, we can trust her, okay? Seriously….yeah. Alright well call me back once you find out what's in the vault." He pressed the phone to end the call and moved back to sit next to Ella.

"So I take it Gordon doesn't trust me in the slightest, does it?" She asked sadly, unraveling one of her curl strands.

"He thinks you've been brainwashed. Which I believed for the last few months as well." He grumbled, before sipping his tea down quickly, taking his and Ella's mugs to the sink. He stands there against the sink for a few moments.

"And what do you believe now?" She probed, avoiding eye contact.

"I believe you saw the error in your ways and that you've come to the realization that there is no good that can come from following some lunatic hell-bent on changing Gotham to his vision of how it should be." She met his gaze then, weakly smiling before tears stung at her eyes.

"I wish I could go back all those weeks ago and stop myself from leaving. You've given me everything I could ever want in boyfriend, then I have to go screw it up. It was inconsiderate. It was foolish. It was-" Blake cut her off as she spoke.

"Nothing we need to concern ourselves with now. I have you back and that is all I'm worried about." He walks towards her and takes her hand and leads her to the bedroom.

Her follower stands up to his full height, not leaving his place on the porch until Blake and Ella are completely out of view. He nods to himself and begins the brisk walk back to the sewers.

He undresses her slowly, then lays her down on her back on the bed. He lays next to her, flush against her body, caressing every nook and cranny of her. He kisses her collarbone, over her breasts, down to her navel, and then takes time and kisses every bruise and scar over her hips, thighs, and arms. He then settles between her legs, wanting to concentrate on her center.

He places his tongue flat against her hooded center then swirls his tongue around it, causing her to moan and grip the sheets. His tongue then dives into her over and over again, her chest heaving as she gasps for air. As she climaxes, he watches as she falls apart before his eyes. He then undresses, positions himself at her opening and plunges in. His breath catches at the slick heat and he shudders. He watches as she opens her eyes to look at him, their gazes meet as he pulls out and slowly returns to the heat.

He leans down to kiss her while he makes love to her. She misses this, the act of making love versus being hammered by Bane. Blake whispers in her ear that he won't last long and she nods, wrapping her legs around his waist. She tightens her walls around Blake and he climaxes, his seed painting her insides like rain on a spring day. He pulls out slowly and collapses next to her, pulling her closer to him.

"I love you, Ella," Blake whispers as he closes his eyes, falling asleep.

She loves him a great deal, but she doesn't return the gesture, simply laying across his chest and sleeps along with him.

She wakes in the early morning, she showers and dresses before she kisses John goodbye and leaves the house on her way to the sewers. She takes time on her walk, enjoying as snow falls on Gotham. She enters the tunnels again, walking down into construction before a large hand grabs her by the neck and slams her against the concrete walls. Her eyes blur at the impact, as she regains vision she sees who stands in front of her. Bane.

His eyes are lit with rage and frustration. His face is mere centimeters away from hers and the sounds of his breathing through the mask echo through her like rumbling thunder.

"I knew you had to be pretty unintelligent, Ella, but how foolish are you? You've betrayed us, and most of all you have betrayed me." His grip holds her up on the concrete wall, her feet no longer touching the ground.

"I haven't betrayed-" she begins, choking out the words as Bane cuts her off.

"DON'T MOCK ME!" he bellows, his grip tightening around her throat as her hands try to claw him off of her. "I followed you last night, Ella, to your little boyfriend, Detective Blake. He's a schemer like Gordon, but he will have his end soon enough." He drops her to the ground, she coughs and sputters, trying to catch her breath. Before she can right herself, he grabs her by the hair, dragging her into their former shared room. He all but throws her on the floor.

"There's been a change in plans. You'll accompany us to the bank today. You'll surely be a spectacle for the masses, once I'm through with you," he finishes, leaving the small room, locking it from the outside so she can't escape.

She curls up into a ball on the floor, clutching her neck which would sure have bruises as the day went on. Her mind raced, she could barely think. All she could do was cry for herself, fearful she would soon see her own demise.

Blake prepares himself for the day, cleaning up his bedroom and fixing himself a light breakfast of toast and eggs. He slightly jumps when his phone rings, reading the caller ID, letters glow on the background reading 'Gordon'. He picks up answers jovially until Gordon starts talking. He listens attentively, not believing his ears.

He gasps audibly as Gordon tells him what lies in the vault that Bane could potentially uncover and reveal to the masses.

Stewart showed up as promised, Selina catching his eye as she sat on the steps of her apartment building next to a large duffel. He waved to her as he parked in front of the stoop. She entered the passenger side door after throwing her duffle in the back seat.

Stewart stayed quiet for half of the ride to the sewers, Selina was anxious and uncomfortable in the silence. "You know, Bane has yet to tell me what I am to retrieve from the bank vault. Shouldn't I be privy to this by now?" She asked, slightly annoyed.

"He hasn't told me what he wants you to steal," Selina cringes at the word 'steal', she prefers 'take' because it sounds classier and elegant rolling off the tongue, "I just assume it isn't money. Bane sees no value in monetary gain. It's something bigger. Something potentially dangerous if it is made public." Stewart finished, turning on the radio, effectively ending further conversation.

They arrive back at the sewers, Stewart parking nearby and leading Selina into the tunnels. Stewart grabs Selina's duffel, storing it in one of the transport vans. They meet up with Bane near the water flow, he nods to Stewart and gestures for Selina to follow him. She slinks behind him, matching his long stride with her graceful gait. They stop near another entrance to the tunnels and Bane points to two large professional-looking vans.

"Those will be our transport to the bank. Your van will let you out in the back of the bank, there are no drive-through ATMs so there is a safe entrance for you to get to the roof and get through the air ducts by the trap door near the vents." Bane said, turning back to Selina.

"Right, so I can get into the vault and take…what, exactly?" Selina probed, looking up at Bane through doe eyes.

He hesitated for a second, a but unsure of what to tell her. "Slot 91577. There is a series of documents that were stolen from the League of Shadows. Gotham doesn't deserve to own what once belonged to Ra's al Ghul." He finished, beginning to walk back inside the tunnels and towards a small group of people huddling near the balcony over the water flow.

He motions for everyone to prepare themselves. The small group heads towards the exit Bane and Selina came from. Bane stayed behind, watching as the crew set the heist in motion. One last piece to the puzzle remained. Bane walked the short distance to his small chambers, unlocking it and stepping inside.

He was disgusted by the mere sight of her, a far cry from his initial view of her. His eyes scan her body, in the fetal position clutching her legs close to her chest. He wastes no time, walking to her and picking her up by her arm and pulls her along beside him out of the tunnels and into the van. He watches as she scrambles to the corner of the open space of the back of the van, slightly chuckling to himself. He nods to the driver, and they're off.

Selina's van arrives at the back of the bank, while the van carrying Bane and the others arrives at the front of the bank. Stewart and the other crew exit the van, running into the bank and knocking out all of the guards. Bane watches through the van window, Stewart salutes to him and he exits the vehicle pulling Ella along.

He enters the lobby, enjoying the scared faces of all of the patrons and employees before him. Reveling in the adrenaline the thrill of the heist gives him. He throws Ella down on the ground, watching as she falls on her face. He nods to a member of the crew and he nods back, walking to Ella holding rope in his hands. He ties her arms behind her back and fists a piece of cloth into her mouth and wraps rope around her head to hold the cloth gag in place.

He sits her up against one of the pillars in the bank lobby and takes his place at the door. He shoots out the glass of all the windows and doors, then turns and shoots one of the tellers between the eyes before reaching over and hitting the panic button under the counter to alert the police.

Bane looks around the bank at all of the faces peering back at him, lastly he looks to Ella. 'We'll see who's side she is really on after all this over," he thought to himself, eyes crinkling while a smile was hidden behind the mask as he heard the first sounds of sirens in the distance.


	6. Live At The 2nd Bank Of Gotham

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In the lobby of the bank, Bane walks the floor, pacing as he watches the police cars and news crews fill the street.

Selina gets to the rooftop expertly using the gutter piping on the corner of the building after changing into a skin-tight leather cat suit. She affixes her goggles and connecting mask to her face and looks around the rooftop, sliding down her goggles to look through. She spots a large vent, unhooking the latch with her lock pick.

She slinks into the vent expertly crawling through to which corner she had to hit to be directly over the vault. She uses a small yet high-powered diamond-tipped saw to cut a large hole in the metal air duct, using a suction cup to hold the metal and place it to the side.

She peers down into the vault. There is one large CCTV camera and a large metal door. 'How cliché!', she thinks to herself. Then notices a fine laser grid mapped low on the floor and covering each of the vault drawers.

She sends a remote-controlled catarang towards the CCTV camera, expertly hitting the mark and smashing the camera making it sizzle and spark a bit. She then locates the electric box producing the bright green laser field, sending another catarang towards it. The box sizzles and shuts off and the laser grid is gone.

She positions herself so her feet dangle over the edge, she then slides down into the room landing on her feet gracefully and the sound of her heeled boots echoes in the vault around her.

She navigates the room, locating slot 91577. She slides her lock pick into the keyhole and turns it to the right before the drawer slides open electronically. She lifts the metal case out of the drawer and takes out a large manila folder. She opens it, her curiosity getting the better of her. Her eyes gape open when she reads.

"Bruce Wayne?", she all but shouts to herself.

In the lobby of the bank, Bane walks the floor, pacing as he watches the police cars and news crews fill the street. He sees one news team setting up their equipment, and when they are finished he calls out to them, his voice bellowing.

"I would ask that you please come inside and participate in our little gathering," he says to a female field correspondent and cameraman. They exchange nervous glances and start to retreat when one of Bane's mercenaries points a gun at the female correspondent.

"Either enter now or die where you stand, Miss…", Bane pauses, asking her name.

"Opio. Alexis Opio," she stutters out, her legs quaking beneath her.

John Blake sits at home, anxiously biting his nails, waiting to hear from Gordon with more information. He decided to turn on the television and switches to Channel 8, the news would be starting soon and he could relax and get lost in the ordinarily mundane telecast.

"Ahh, Miss Opio, please do join us," Bane extends a hand, waiting as she and the cameraman approach the bank lobby. They step over glass and debris and enter the lobby, the tension in the air so thick, you could cut through it with a knife.

"You are about to get the exclusive of a lifetime, I hope you are ready," Bane calmly speaks, gesturing for Alexis to begin her broadcast. The cameraman points the camera at her, the camera shaking in his hands as he nervously tries to maintain his cool.

Alexis raises the microphone in her hands and begins to speak, Bane close by at her side. "This is Alexis Opio, Channel 8 Action News, live at the 2nd Bank of Gotham where a hostage situation has taken place-" she is pushed to the side as Bane grabs the microphone.

"People of Gotham, do not fear me. I am merely a means to an end. To free you from stifling democracy and to expose the true nature of justice," he begins, gesturing for the cameraman to follow as he walks towards Ella. He pulls her up to her feet and takes the gag out of her mouth so she may speak. Her forehead has a small bruise where she hit the floor, small bruises are forming at the corners of her mouth where the rope was wrapped far too tightly.

Blake watches in horror as Bane brings Ella into view on the broadcast. He sees reddish-purple bruises forming on her face and neck. He instantly regrets letting her return to the sewers.

"Identify yourself to the people of Gotham," Bane says before positioning the microphone at Ella's mouth.

"Ella," she choked out, looking into the camera.

"And who is your current boyfriend?" Bane asks, false sweetness pouring from his words.

"Detective John Blake," she says, barely above a whisper.

"Ahh, yes, Detective Blake. A snoop, a busybody, a schemer," Bane stated, nodding towards a mercenary at his side. The mercenary trains a gun at Ella's head. "If Detective Blake doesn't make it to the 2nd Bank of Gotham in the next half hour, Ella will die along with everyone in this lobby. Make no mistakes, I am a man of my words." He then drops the microphone and walks to sit at a nearby chair in front of the tellers.

Blake is frozen as he watches Ella's eyes tearing up as a gun inches closer to her head. He is out of his front door quickly, jumping into his car and speeding towards the bank, biting his nails again.

The cameraman keeps rolling as Bane sits and waits. He films the terrified tellers, Ella crying as she stands, the tercentenary holding the gun to her head, Alexis standing in the corner away from everyone and lastly he films the police outside the bank as he watches two cars pull up and the drivers exit their cars and have a little scuffle. He zooms in on both men.

Gordon arrives at the bank a moment before Blake arrives. He spots the young detective running from his car towards the bank, almost tackling him to stop him before he runs straight into gunfire.

"Blake? Blake! You can't go rushing in there. You won't help anything by rushing. Do you hear me?" Gordon spoke loudly as Blake tried to fight him to get to Ella before calming down and taking deep breaths.

"Go about this calmly and he will follow your lead. Got it?" Gordon says, making eye contact with the detective.

"I won't handle this well if he kills her. I can't…I won't…" Blake trails off before steeling himself and squeezing Gordon's shoulder before taking a few careful steps towards the bank.

"Bane! It's Detective Blake. I'm here now," Blake yells, getting Bane's attention. Bane rises from his seat and moves towards the exit of the bank. He raises both hands, gesturing for Blake to enter the bank away from the police. Blake returns his eyes to Gordon for a millisecond, Gordon nods and Blake walks inside with his eyes glued on Ella. He doesn't see the punch coming, and instantly he is on the floor clutching his jaw in agony.

The cameraman films the confrontation and zooms in on the detective, terrified that he may witness a murder on the news along with the rest of Gotham.

Bane stands over Blake, gripping him up by the collar of his shirt. "You are a blemish in my vision. You believe Gotham is worth saving, you're the lunatic." Bane says, pulling Blake closer to Ella so he can break him. "I bet she told you of our various sexual trysts together, did she not? And I assume she told you she was forced to act." Blake's eyes went from Bane to Ella, who looked to the floor closing her eyes.

"Then she did not tell you of the times when she came to me. When she wanted my body, my essence. You can't rape the willing, Detective. You above all people should know that, in your line of work, you can't always believe there only one side of the coin." Bane said, smiling behind the mask as Blake's eyes went from sympathetic to angry.

Selina packed away the manila folder, securing the drawer back into the slot. She climbed back into the air duct and made her way back to the rooftop. She put one leg over the side of the building and was pushed back onto the ground of the roof before she could register what happened.

A large black figure loomed over her, a black cape flowing in the breeze, sunlight marring any other distinguishing features. He looked down at her, leaning down to grab the papers from her hands. "I'm sorry Miss Kyle, I can't let you take these to Bane. You've already read through them, I'm sure." His dark raspy voice flooded her senses, as she looked into his eyes.

"Bruce Wayne," she said quietly, leaning up so her face was inches away from his. "I wasn't going to give these to Bane, well only the parts where Ra's al Ghul went into detail about how disappointed he was in Bane. I figured the brute deserved that." Selina scowled, wishing she could run but she knew the Batman would catch her.

He pulled the cowl down and off his face so he was just talking to her as Bruce Wayne. She pulled off her mask and goggles, mimicking him. "Selina, why would you think working with this madman would do you any good?" He asked calmly, his eyes sparkling in the sunlight.

"I didn't think it would do me any good. I knew it would keep me fed and keep a roof over my head. That is, if he was truly intending to pay me, which he never talked about again after I said I'd do it. Silly girl, right?" She asks, sad smile on her face. "We can't all be born with silver spoons in our mouths, Bruce," she said, rising from her seat on the ground.

"And we can't all be billionaires forever. I think the latest headline in The Gotham Post was 'From Billionaire to Bum', great photo of me on the cover however," a sad chuckle escaping his lips as he pulled himself up to his full height.

She looks back at him and rolls her eyes. "If you're not going to let me have those, you might as well kill me because if you don't, Bane will anyway. And I doubt he will make it quick." She moved closer to him, her boots clacking on the gravel.

"I can offer you a way out, if you wish. Only if you're truly serious about changing your ways," he offered, grabbing her mask from her hand and dangling it in her face.

She smiled at him, taking her mask back and placing it on her face. "What would you have me do, Mr. Wayne?" She asked, he simply smiled back at her before moving his cowl back over his face.

Blake stared at Ella, anger in his eyes before it suddenly smoothed out, his breath catching. He turns to Bane slowly. "This is what you want, isn't it? You want me to hate her so I'll give you the satisfaction of killing her and turning me against Gotham." Blake spoke and Bane furrowed his brows at the small man. "But I've worked too hard and too long to give up. And it helps if you have a powerful friend on your side as well," Blake finished as a loud rumbling sound approached from outside the bank.


	7. The Beginning Is The End Is The Beginning

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every journey has an end...doesn't it?

A large black aircraft hovered above the police cruisers and two bright lights shone into the bank, obscuring everyone's vision. Blake took his opportunity, grabbing the gun from his pants and whipping Bane's face, effectively unlatching two pipes from the front of his mask. He then pistol whips the mercenary at Ella's side and grabs Ella and runs out towards Gordon, who stands in awe looking at the large aircraft.

Blake releases Ella from the cuffs as the aircraft's light go out and the police rush in, unarming the mercenaries and cuffing them. Gordon comes into the bank and stands over Bane as Selina jumps down from the aircraft and strolls into the bank lobby. She stands next to Gordon looking down at Bane with a sad smile.

Bane's hands cower near his mask, but he doesn't have the strength to reconnect the air tubes. Selina raised one heeled boot and swiped against Bane's mask, effectively disconnecting all the tubes but one. As she leans down to pull out the last tube and end his life, Bruce moves in behind her and stops her hand.

"No killing," Bruce warned lowly so only Selina could hear him.

Selina rolls her eyes, stands to her full height and walks from the bank lobby, Bruce following after nodding to Gordon.

Ella peels herself from Blake's grip and walks back into the bank and stands next to Gordon. Her face falls as she watches Bane in agony writhing and mewling in pain.

"You know you don't have to watch this, you have been through enough," Gordon offered, looking at her sullen face.

"Batman doesn't believe in killing, if it was anyone else laying on the ground before me I would agree with him," Ella says before bending down and leaning over Bane. "I want to be the last thing you see before you take your last breath. I hope everything has been worth it, Bane." And with that she slams down her fist on his last connected tube.

Hissing fills the room, the sound of Bane struggling to breathe floods Ella's senses. She hates herself for unexpectedly starting to cry as his eyes roll back in his head. One final breath escapes his mouth, his chest ceases to heave and his eyes close heavily. She crawls up closer to him, laying her head down on his, her tears falling down her face and drop onto his mask.

"I'm sorry…" Ella trails off before sobbing uncontrollably. Gordon can't take seeing her like this and leans down to pick her up even as she struggles to push him off of her.

Blake sadly watches the entire time, not knowing how to react. He walks into the bank and leans down, picking up Ella easily in his arms. She relaxes in his embrace and lets him hold her. He walks back to his car, after nodding to Gordon, depositing Ella into the front passenger seat. He closes her door, before leaning on it momentarily, taking one last glance into the bank terrified that the masked man would suddenly rise again.

Blake walks around to the driver's side and as he reached the door handle, a large gloved hand ghosts over his. He doesn't turn to see who is speaking to him, he knows it is Bruce.

"You should take some time off. Clear your head. Your patience and confidence in justice has been tried, it isn't something you can easily overcome. A wise man once told me that you have to mask the pain, practice smiling in the mirror," Bruce growled lowly, not in his usual manner but firm nonetheless.

Blake gives a weak smile, trying in his tired and frustrated state to mask all of his pain.

"Work on that," Bruce states before starting to walking away, "and I'll call you sometime, I want to show you something," he finished without turning around.

Blake watches as Bruce climbs into the Bat, Selina following in behind him. He watches the aircraft lift and ascend into the snowy purple sky. He climbs in the seat, buckling in before looking to Ella. She looks beyond terrible, tear stains dry into her cheeks, she looks off into the distance, presumably at nothing.

"We could leave, if you wanted to. Leave for a while, just you and me. No Gotham. No badge. No…" Blake looks to the bank lobby as a few police officers lay a white sheet over Bane's large body. "No danger."

Ella nods, rubbing at her wrists, raw emblazoned flesh sensitive to the touch. "I've heard Florence is nice this type of year. Or we could go to Metropolis, seems very boring. We need boring these days." She gives him a weak smile, one even she doesn't believe.

"I'm almost positive Metropolis isn't gonna be your cup of tea. But Florence does sound nice. Do you speak any Italian?" Blake asks, turning his key in the ignition.

"Not one word. Well, one word actually. Grazie. So I could thank waiters when they bring me a Fernet Branca." She lets out a small laugh, startling herself.

"Grat-zee-eh. Now we both know Italian. We'll hit the house, pack only the essentials and escape for as long as we want. Deal?" Blake finishes, putting his hand out for Ella to shake.

Ella reaches her hand over, clasping it with Blake's. She doesn't leave his hand, instead uses it to pull Blake forward to her so she can kiss him, languid and passionate.

"Deal." Ella says, before buckling herself in.

Blake and Ella spend three months in Florence, learning a bit more Italian and sightseeing. Blake buys a Vespa and they ride around town going to museums and enjoying food and espressos at every café they can find. Only when Blake gets a call, do they pack up and leave.

They get to Wayne Manor, Alfred answers the door for them after a few moments. "Master Wayne is waiting for you in the library. Right this way." Ella smiles ear to ear, marveling at the high ceilings and ornate statues lining the halls. They reach the library after what seems like ages, Bruce and Selina waiting for them.

Bruce is seated at a desk, his feet up on the desk and a book over his lap. Selina is sitting on the window sill, book across her outstretched legs.

"Domesticity suits you, Bruce." Blake snorts, getting Bruce's attention.

"Reading is fundamental, at least that's what they tell us all in school, right? But I personally believe reading is boring. I much rather enjoy adventure in the field, rather than in between the pages." Bruce smiles as he lays his book on the desk and rises to greet his guests, putting his hand out for Ella to shake. "Bruce Wayne, nice to meet you, Ella." He finished, he can almost hear Selina rolling her eyes.

"Nice to meet you too, Mr. Wayne." Ella shakes his hand lightly and can't stop the giggles when Bruce raises her small hand up to his lips and winks at Blake.

"Please, call me Bruce, and the pleasure is all mine."

Selina decides to stop the schmooze fest and tosses her book to the nearby couch before sauntering over to the group. "Don't mind Bruce, he tends to lay on the charm pretty thick sometimes. Blake, nice to see you." She looks from Blake to Ella, uncertainty painting her eyes. "Ella. Nice to see you again…under much better circumstances." The last part no higher than a whisper.

"Nice to see you again too, Selina," Ella says, nonchalantly placing her hand into Blake's, feeling unsure about the motives of the Catwoman.

Noting the tension in the room, Blake speaks up. "So, Bruce, you have something to show me…?"

"Right. Yeah. Selina will you show Ella where she and Blake will be staying?" Bruce smiled at Selina, and his teeth actually glistened.

"Of course. You're gonna love the room, kid. It's got a huge walk-in closet and a Jacuzzi in the bathroom. Fit for a princess. So let's give these boys they're alone time." Selina walks ahead of her, Ella's confused face not going unnoticed.

"O…kay," Ella says, walking quickly behind Selina to catch up.

When Ella's footsteps are out of earshot, Bruce walks over to the piano in the corner of the room and presses a few keys on it before the bookcase moves to the side and he walks into the darkness, Blake following hesitantly.

He follows Bruce into what looks like an underground cave, just as he thinks Bruce is going to walk straight into the water, a pathway rises and Bruce climbs steps onto a high platform. The Batsuit rises out of the platform next to Bruce and he smiles as he turns to looked at the cop.

A flurry of bats fly past Blake and he ducks momentarily before he realizes the bats aren't a danger to him. He walks towards Bruce and the platform as a second case rises from the platform and all Blake can do is smile, his eyes crinkling at the corners.


End file.
